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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 120 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: snap · mug · lie · firm · tube · nail · fan · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — a company
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. firm — decided
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mug — a face
  17. tube — the underground
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — steady

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