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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
468
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: lash · hide · season · degree · ball · suit · rule · scale

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. suit — in cards
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — temperature
  8. scale — in music
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. degree — from a university
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — clothes
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a dance
  17. season — of the year
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — a law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a great time

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