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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — humankind
  8. shower — rain
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. degree — from a university
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. race — the arms race
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. shower — to wash
  20. branch — a division
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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