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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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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: degree · shower · rest · coach · lie · current · stand · club

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. club — for golf
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rest — a break
  19. degree — temperature
  20. current — happening now
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for dancing
  24. degree — from a university

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