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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: stand · wind · object · spell · rash · degree · rock · swing

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rash — hasty
  3. degree — an amount
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. spell — magic
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. object — to protest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. stand — to bear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. object — an aim
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stand — on your feet

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