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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — a permit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. degree — from a university
  15. staff — a stick
  16. clip — to cut
  17. shower — to wash
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — with your hand

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