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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: row · coach · wave · object · degree · file · mug · lean

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a document
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. object — to protest
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mug — to rob
  10. degree — temperature
  11. row — a line
  12. mug — a cup
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mug — a face
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — thin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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