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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: chest · cap · track · race · wake · calf · coach · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chest — a box
  3. race — the arms race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — humankind
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — a container
  8. cap — a hat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cap — a lid
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. track — a song
  17. tube — the underground
  18. race — a contest
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. track — a path
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — of ice

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