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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.

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: last · mate · coach · tube · can · dip · cold · kick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — in football
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — to go on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tube — a container
  14. cold — an illness
  15. last — finally
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. last — final
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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