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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · bear · rest · kick · hand · bark · drill · firm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — in cards
  12. drill — army training
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kick — in football
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bark — to shout
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — hurry

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