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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: cap · coach · rash · cold · dip · cabinet · suit · object

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cap — a hat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — an illness
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rash — a series
  20. suit — in cards
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. object — a thing
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. dip — to sink

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