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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: wake · coach · mug · tube · suit · bound · cap · foot

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. bound — certain
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cap — of ice
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tube — the underground
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tube — a container

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