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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: pop · plane · degree · straw · shower · toast · current · nail

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pop — to visit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. toast — bread
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — from a university
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. current — of water
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — music
  22. current — electric
  23. shower — to wash
  24. current — happening now

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