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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 116 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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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: saw · rash · rush · rest · last · board · firm · fine

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — to go on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. last — final
  24. rash — on the skin

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