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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 120 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 · capital · saw · leaves · suit · spell · mouse · rash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. capital — money
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rash — a series
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. suit — clothes
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. capital — a city

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