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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: can · degree · fan · suit · rash · mark · cabinet · last

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. degree — from a university
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mark — a grade
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  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