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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: fan · ball · coach · tube · object · mug · sharp · cold

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mug — a face
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. object — to protest
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — an aim
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ball — a dance
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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