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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · tear · foot · rock · coach · mine · tube · wound

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mine — for digging
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tear — to rip
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — a container
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rock — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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