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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wind — moving air
  5. shower — rain
  6. root — of a word
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. root — the cause
  11. rush — hurry
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. toast — bread
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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