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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 116 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
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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: degree · mouse · rash · current · sharp · dip · row · land

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — hasty
  3. row — to paddle
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — clever
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — a country
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. current — of water
  14. land — to come down
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — electric
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. land — ground
  24. row — a line

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