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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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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: fork · club · rush · lie · rest · cold · nail · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rest — a break
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — a group
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — for golf
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — the Cold War

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