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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: coach · shower · spring · charge · wax · degree · ruler · bear

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — a price
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spring — a coil
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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