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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.

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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: coach · last · object · hide · wake · rush · prune · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — to protest
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. object — a thing
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. object — an aim
  15. last — to go on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — hurry

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