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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: wound · nail · rest · pound · net · deal · pit · rash

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. net — for catching
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rest — a break
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. net — in sport
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pound — a weight
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — a series
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. net — after costs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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