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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: mark · mouse · tube · hand · coach · hide · cap · date

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hand — help
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — the underground
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tube — a container
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cap — a lid
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cap — a hat
  24. hide — to keep secret

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