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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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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: bass · kid · rest · bulb · rash · ball · drill · stick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. drill — the tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. kid — child

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