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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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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: rock · degree · wind · cap · coach · trunk · pass · temple

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rock — a stone
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. degree — an amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — to move gently

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