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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · fan · degree · safe · wave · fall · leaves · hide

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — the season
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — with your hand

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