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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: rest · rush · nail · plane · degree · press · fall · current

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — happening now
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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