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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: coach · dip · kid · mark · bark · mate · leaves · tube

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. mate — a friend
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — child
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mark — a trace
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kid — to tease
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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