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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 120 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: current · cue · calf · march · coach · cold · leaves · squash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — to crush
  3. march — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — happening now
  14. cue — a hint
  15. current — of water
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cold — the Cold War

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