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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: cue · firm · coach · hide · tube · mug · kid · current

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. firm — decided
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — happening now
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — electric
  16. firm — a company
  17. kid — child
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — steady

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