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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: staff · rush · track · bore · lash · suit · capital · degree

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — to fit
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to drill
  10. staff — a stick
  11. suit — clothes
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — a path
  16. capital — a city
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. degree — temperature
  19. track — a song
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — money
  23. degree — an amount
  24. track — to keep track

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