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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
468
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: leaves · coach · fan · rash · sharp · saw · roll · tube

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. roll — a cake
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. sharp — clever
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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