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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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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: racket · tear · rest · chair · nail · rock

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. nail — on a finger

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