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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · coach · cold · hide · arm · dip · season · pass

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cold — not warm
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cold — an illness
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. board — to get on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — a committee
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. dip — a sauce

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