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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: coach · rash · suit · hide · tube · court · fall · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — a series
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — for sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — a container
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. suit — in cards
  16. court — of a king
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fall — the season
  20. tube — the underground
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of law

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