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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: mine · wind · rock · bore · coach · dip · bear · degree

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rock — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. degree — temperature

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