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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · rush · degree · plane · pitcher · safe · drill · suit

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — in cards
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. degree — from a university
  5. drill — a practice
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — clothes
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — an amount

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