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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 116 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: degree · bank · firm · shower · nail · coach · lie · wound

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. degree — from a university
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. firm — decided
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — a company
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lie — an untruth
  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