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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 116 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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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: suit · lash · nail · club · rest · net · race · ruler

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — in sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. race — humankind
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — to fit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. net — after costs
  24. race — the arms race

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