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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. last — final
  10. degree — from a university
  11. last — finally
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. degree — an amount
  18. last — to go on
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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