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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
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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 · leaves · chest · degree · firm · jam · can · bear

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — a company
  9. chest — of your body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — steady
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chest — a box
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bear — to put up with

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