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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: rash · kick · plane · temple · fan · pass · degree · nail

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. degree — from a university
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rash — a series
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. nail — on a finger

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