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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 116 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: lash · nail · mine · rest · rush · ground · race · march

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — crushed
  3. race — a contest
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — hurry
  8. race — humankind
  9. march — the month
  10. mine — for digging
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. march — music
  15. ground — a position
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — to hurry

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