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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.

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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: nail · wave · degree · net · pop · lean · rest · fork

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fork — in a road
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — thin
  24. net — in sport

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