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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 120 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: hide · rush · chest · season · racket · rest · race · craft

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — of your body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. race — the arms race
  8. season — in sport
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. craft — boats
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. season — of the year
  17. race — humankind
  18. rest — a break
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — a box

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