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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · rest · object · rush · bass · kick · nail · bat

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. object — to protest
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rule — government
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. object — an aim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bass — low music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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