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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
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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: dip · fan · toast · degree · rush · rash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. dip — to sink
  5. degree — from a university
  6. toast — bread
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — hasty

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