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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: lean · kick · rest · rash · net · pit · rock · bear

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — a series
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — for catching
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rest — a break
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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