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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: wind · coach · lash · press · current · tube · kid · mouse

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — of water
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. press — to push
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kid — child
  24. coach — a trainer

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