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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 120 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: pass · nail · rush · rash · sharp · bay · field · scale

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. field — farmland
  4. rush — hurry
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. field — a subject
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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