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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: bark · rest · rash · pass · net · saw · ruler · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — after costs
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pass — to spend time

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