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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: jam · degree · board · calf · wave · spring · coach · rule

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rule — a law
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. degree — temperature
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rule — government
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — a coil
  19. board — to get on
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — in traffic

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