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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: coach · sharp · suit · cold · key · cabinet · stem · mouse

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — clothes
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cold — an illness
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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