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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · fork · bank · net · bay · coach · arm · shower

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. shower — rain
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bank — of a river
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com