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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: fine · rash · lie · drill · patient · march · degree · race

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. march — the month
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. degree — from a university
  6. drill — army training
  7. degree — an amount
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — hasty
  23. march — music
  24. rash — on the skin

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