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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
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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: rest · degree · field · wave · rush · stick · charge · hide

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. field — farmland
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — hurry
  7. charge — in control
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. field — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — a break
  18. degree — from a university
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — electricity
  23. degree — temperature
  24. charge — a price

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