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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: racket · nail · tear · land · rash · rest · charge · squash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. squash — the sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — in control
  9. squash — to crush
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — a break
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — a price

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