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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cold — not warm
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — a tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. suit — clothes
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wind — moving air
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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