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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: mark · stick · rush · charge · hand · nail · pit · wake

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. hand — help
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rush — hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — in control
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — in cards

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