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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 116 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: rash · nail · pass · drill · suit · wind · sharp · degree

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wind — moving air
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. suit — to fit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rash — hasty
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. drill — army training
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — clothes

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