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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — a break
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — a skill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. craft — boats
  16. rest — what's left
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a partner

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