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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: ruler · firm · rest · saw · pit · hand · leaves · rash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. firm — steady
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — a company
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. hand — in cards

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