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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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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: rush · saw · object · firm · snap · current · mate · degree

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. firm — steady
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — a partner
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. snap — to click
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — electric
  15. degree — an amount
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — a thing
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. current — happening now
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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