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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 · staff · net · safe · arm · nail · fork · rush

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — hurry
  4. staff — a stick
  5. net — after costs
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. net — in sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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