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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: racket · rash · spring · lash · shower · safe · pit · file

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. spring — a coil
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pit — in a race
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. spring — of water
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — rain
  14. rash — hasty
  15. shower — to wash
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — a series

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