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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: ground · rash · racket · safe · board · nail · kick · last

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — a position
  6. board — a committee
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. last — final
  14. ground — crushed
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — with a leg

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