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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: rest · season · rash · lash · tear · ruler · fork · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fork — in a road
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — a series
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — to rip
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — from crying
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rest — a break

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