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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: nail · rule · mark · current · kid · lash · rest · court

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — child
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. current — electric
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. current — of water
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — government
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rule — a law

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