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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
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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: stick · date · coach · tube · leaves · wave · field · hand

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — for sport
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. field — a subject
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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