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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: charge · nail · kid · rush · mine · bass · race · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. charge — a price
  4. race — a contest
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kid — child
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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