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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: coach · stand · degree · wound · pound · rock · current · lash

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — from a university
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. current — of water
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wound — an injury

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