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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 · pass · rush · rock · wound · drill · rash · saw

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. nail — on a finger

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