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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: fine · bear · nail · net · rush · rest · toast · kid

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — to tease
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. toast — bread
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. kid — child
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — high quality
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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