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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 120 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: tube · track · coach · bass · pound · lean · wave · wind

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lean — thin
  10. track — a song
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tube — a container
  22. track — a path
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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