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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: nail · rash · ground · dip · bore · racket · lash · game

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — a match
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — wild animals
  15. ground — crushed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. dip — to dunk

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