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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · mug · vault · tube · shower · coach · craft · land

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. tube — a container
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mug — to rob
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cold — not warm
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mug — a face
  13. land — a country
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. land — to come down
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. craft — boats
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — a handicraft

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