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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 120 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: degree · arm · fine · fall · shower · leaves · coach · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — high quality
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — all right

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