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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: cold · temple · coach · date · wax · pass · arm · dip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cold — an illness
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. date — the fruit
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — a permit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cold — not warm
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wax — to grow
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. dip — to dunk

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