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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · rush · pass · coach · cold · mate · bear · tube

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cold — an illness
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bear — to put up with

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