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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: degree · hide · pass · rash · net · racket · temple · wake

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. degree — an amount
  4. net — after costs
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. net — for catching
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rash — a series
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. degree — temperature
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — in sport

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