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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: rash · tear · shower · wave · stock · drill · racket · chip

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. drill — army training
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — goods
  16. chip — to eat
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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