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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: tube · mug · kid · leaves · suit · ground · fine · coach

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tube — a container
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kid — child
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ground — a position
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — in a tire

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