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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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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: rule · cold · cue · coach · mine · toast · safe · mark

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — for digging
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — an illness
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — a hint
  19. toast — bread
  20. cold — not warm
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rule — government
  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