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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
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: hide · rush · degree · charge · staff · club · cold · stand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. charge — in control
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — a group
  10. staff — a stick
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — not warm
  19. degree — from a university
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — hurry

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