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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · nail · rock · arm · bore · squash · snap · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rash — hasty
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rock — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rash — a series
  11. march — music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. snap — to click
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — the vegetable

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