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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: leaves · swing · arm · fine · current · tear · coach · degree

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — an amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — happening now
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tear — to rip
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. degree — temperature
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. current — of water
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. degree — from a university
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. current — electric
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fine — all right
  24. coach — a trainer

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