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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: branch · mug · degree · coach · ball · wave · rash · chair

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — temperature
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mug — a cup
  9. branch — a division
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mug — a face
  16. rash — a series
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ball — a dance

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