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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: dip · fan · toast · degree · rush · rash · chest · scale

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. dip — to sink
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. toast — bread
  8. rash — hasty
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chest — a box
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — of your body

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