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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: drill · clip · coach · track · tube · leaves · bear · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. clip — to cut
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a song
  6. clip — for paper
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — the tool
  17. clip — a video
  18. drill — army training
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bear — the animal

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