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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: cap · degree · current · pass · rush · nail · cold · key

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. key — in music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cap — of ice
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — of water
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cold — an illness
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a hat
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rush — a thrill

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