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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: rush · last · kick · track · shower · degree · suit · roll

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. roll — a list
  3. track — a song
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. last — finally
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. kick — in football
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rush — hurry
  17. roll — a cake
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. last — final
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — an amount
  24. track — a path

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