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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. last — finally
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. last — to go on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. last — final
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — a lid
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of a car

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