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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 · charge · saw · rest · ground · game · rush

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — in control
  8. rest — a break
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rash — hasty
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — a series
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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