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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · rest · can · hand · spell · mug · rash · drill

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rest — a break
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — a cup
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — a signal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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