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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: rash · saw · spell · fan · staff · wave · root · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. root — the cause
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. root — of a word
  16. rash — a series
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. degree — an amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. spell — magic

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