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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: fork · rash · suit · bore · drill · rest · mine · cue

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. suit — in cards
  6. drill — army training
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fork — in a road
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rest — a break
  22. rash — a series
  23. cue — for pool
  24. suit — clothes

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