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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: race · rash · season · charge · swing · nail · craft · dip

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — of the year
  4. race — humankind
  5. swing — to play on
  6. dip — to sink
  7. craft — boats
  8. charge — in control
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — in sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rash — a series
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — a skill
  19. swing — music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. race — the arms race
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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