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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — to eat
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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