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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · arm · rash · coach · degree · dip · tear · nail

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. degree — temperature
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — a series
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rash — hasty
  12. dip — to sink
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. sharp — clever
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. degree — from a university
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. nail — for a hammer

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