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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.

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: object · chest · last · lean · rash · racket · squash · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. object — a thing
  6. lean — thin
  7. last — final
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. chest — of your body
  14. last — to go on
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chest — a box
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — finally
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — a loud noise

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