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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 116 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: field · cold · tube · ruler · staff · coach · kick · deal

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. deal — to handle
  9. field — a subject
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — the underground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — for sport
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — a stick
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. tube — a container

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