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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: rash · nail · drill · pitcher · rest · cell · fall · prune

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. drill — a practice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cell — a phone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — a break
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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