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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: dip · tear · object · charge · degree · coach · shower · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. degree — from a university
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. tear — from crying
  15. charge — in control
  16. dip — to sink
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — a price
  19. shower — rain
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. tear — to rip
  22. object — to protest
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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