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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: race · present · coach · board · degree · fall · hide · mark

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — a contest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. race — humankind
  5. fall — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. degree — an amount
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a committee
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. race — the arms race
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — a flat piece
  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