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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: coach · hand · mark · toast · cold · present · rock · degree

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. degree — temperature
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. degree — an amount
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — bread
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — the time now
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hand — in cards
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cold — not warm
  22. degree — from a university
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. coach — a trainer

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