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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: object · cap · shower · patient · coach · bay · degree · staff

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — to protest
  3. degree — temperature
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — a stick
  7. object — an aim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — employees
  10. degree — from a university
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a hat
  13. object — a thing
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. shower — rain
  19. degree — an amount
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cap — a lid
  24. patient — a sick person

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