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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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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: rash · roll · lie · ground · squash · degree · club · rock

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. roll — a list
  6. lie — to recline
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. club — a group
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. ground — a position
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. degree — temperature
  23. roll — a cake
  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