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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: rock · rash · roll · drill · temple · mouse · rest · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — music
  17. rest — a break
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — what's left
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rush — to hurry

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