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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: coach · mug · cue · last · suit · date · dip · chest

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. dip — to sink
  3. last — finally
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. suit — to fit
  11. last — to go on
  12. mug — a face
  13. suit — clothes
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — final
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cue — a signal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. chest — a box
  24. cue — for pool

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