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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: hide · toast · degree · ruler · content · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. degree — from a university
  13. toast — bread
  14. degree — temperature
  15. content — the amount
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. content — happy
  18. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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