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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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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 · cell · fall · cue · suit · bear · kid · mate

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. kid — child
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — a phone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. kid — to tease

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