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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: mate · coach · fall · stock · dip · wake · kid · can

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stock — shares
  7. fall — the season
  8. kid — child
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. can — a tin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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