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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: bore · rash · club · snap · suit · last · nail · rest

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rash — a series
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — to go on
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. club — a group
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — finally
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rest — a break
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — to drill
  21. suit — in cards
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — final

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