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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · rest · rash · pit · bore · hand · band · ruler

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a ring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a music group
  23. hand — help
  24. ruler — for measuring

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