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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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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: rash · fork · saw · object · rest · capital · pass · wake

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — a trail
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. object — a thing
  10. capital — a city
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — a break
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — on the skin

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