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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: suit · drill · nail · foot · degree · wind · prune · object

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. degree — from a university
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — a thing
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. degree — an amount
  7. drill — army training
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — in cards
  10. degree — temperature
  11. object — to protest
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — an aim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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