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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: nail · rush · degree · wind · mate · plane · object · cap

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — temperature
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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