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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to click
  12. root — of a word
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — the cause
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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