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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: staff · rest · snap · degree · nail · can · firm · drill

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. can — a tin
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — a company
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — decided
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — steady
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — from a university
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — to be able to

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