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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 116 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. The water is too ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cold — an illness
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cabinet — ministers

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