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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: coach · cabinet · saw · tube · deal · fan · bay · sharp

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cabinet — ministers

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