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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 · staff · lash · tube · stock · track · deal · last

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — a stick
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. last — to go on
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — goods
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — finally
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. last — final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stock — shares
  24. coach — a trainer

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