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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 116 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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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: lean · band · face · degree · suit · deal · nail · drill

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — to confront
  5. degree — an amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — part of the head
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lean — thin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. drill — army training
  20. degree — from a university
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. suit — clothes
  24. band — a music group

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