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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 120 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: fine · tear · track · race · tube · cabinet · rest · coach

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. race — humankind
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — a path
  7. rest — a break
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. race — the arms race
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. race — a contest
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — a song
  24. tube — in a tire

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