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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 · kid · tube · current · lash · wave · deal

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — to tease
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. current — happening now
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kid — child
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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