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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: cold · march · coach · hand · dip · chair · cue · vault

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cue — a signal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hand — help
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. march — music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chair — a professorship

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