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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
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: degree · charge · mouse · cue · pop · hand · rash · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — an amount
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — soda
  7. rash — a series
  8. cue — a signal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — to visit

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