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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: wind · patient · trunk · suit · jam · drill · rush · degree

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. drill — the tool
  3. degree — temperature
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. degree — from a university
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — a practice
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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