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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: kick · rule · rash · rush · can · bay · bark · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rule — government
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rash — a series
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — to be able to

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