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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: nail · rush · staff · mouse · rest · ball · bark · object

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rest — a break
  4. object — to protest
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — to shout
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — a thing
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mouse — the animal

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