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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: hand · net · key · last · ruler · rash · object · chest

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. last — to go on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — after costs
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rash — a series
  12. hand — help
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — an aim
  19. last — finally
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. last — final
  23. object — a thing
  24. key — in music

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