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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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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: squash · dip · plane · stick · degree · rush · branch · nail

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — a division
  10. degree — temperature
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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