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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: hand · degree · suit · sharp · rash · rush · dip · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hand — help
  14. sharp — clever
  15. degree — an amount
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hand — in cards
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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