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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: coach · tear · net · nail · tube · wave · clip · fine

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. clip — a video
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — high quality
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — all right
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. clip — to cut
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. clip — for paper
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — for a hammer

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