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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: suit · rash · degree · game · last · fan · cabinet · hide

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rash — hasty
  6. last — finally
  7. degree — an amount
  8. last — to go on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. last — final
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — a series
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — to fit

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