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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
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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: can · degree · rash · wake · leaves · mouse · foot · race

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — hasty
  10. race — the arms race
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rash — a series
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. can — a tin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — temperature
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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