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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · spring · suit · tear · press · snap · nail · degree

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — an amount
  3. press — a publisher
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. degree — temperature
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — of water
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spring — a coil
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. press — to push
  20. spring — the season
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. degree — from a university
  24. tear — to rip

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