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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.

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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: object · wound · degree · current · bank · nail · shower · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. degree — from a university
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bank — for money
  5. object — a thing
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — in cards
  8. current — of water
  9. shower — rain
  10. bank — of a river
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — temperature
  18. object — an aim
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. object — to protest
  24. wound — an injury

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