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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: ball · cold · bear · dip · bay · clip · coach · board

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cold — not warm
  10. board — to get on
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a committee
  20. clip — to cut
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. clip — a video

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