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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: current · dip · degree · cap · land · mouse · rush · lash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. land — ground
  3. current — electric
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. current — happening now
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. land — to come down
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mouse — for a computer

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