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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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468
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: wave · jam · degree · spring · pass · drill · rash · ruler

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. drill — the tool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. drill — army training
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rash — hasty
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rash — a series

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