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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: mouse · rest · stand · rash · rush · saw · pop · band

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. band — a ring
  6. pop — soda
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pop — to visit

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