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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: straw · dip · can · safe · snap · hide · coach · degree

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. degree — an amount
  5. snap — to click
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. dip — to sink
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. degree — from a university
  24. hide — to keep secret

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