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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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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: cabinet · coach · cold · root · cell · pass · shower · stand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a word
  9. cell — in biology
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pass — a permit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pass — to succeed

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