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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: chest · safe · degree · lie · coach · bowl · file · rush

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a document
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. chest — of your body
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. file — a tool
  17. chest — a box
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — hurry

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