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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — a position
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. rock — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. drill — army training
  24. ground — crushed

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