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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: rest · row · rush · game · bank · mouse · cap · nail

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — hurry
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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