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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: rash · fork · kid · net · drill · bear · pass · rest

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — to tease
  10. drill — army training
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. net — for catching
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. rest — a break
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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