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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: tear · race · charge · fan · rash · rest · spring · lash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — a coil
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — a price
  5. spring — the season
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rest — what's left
  14. race — humankind
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — a break
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. race — a contest
  24. rash — hasty

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