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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: rule · rash · mouse · cell · fan · deal · degree · spell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rule — a law
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rule — government
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spell — letters
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rash — a series
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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