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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: degree · safe · object · bear · fan · roll · rash · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — an amount
  17. object — to protest
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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