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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. drill — army training
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rash — a series

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