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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: fan · craft · file · lash · cue · degree · rush · racket

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. craft — a skill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. craft — boats
  24. rush — a thrill

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