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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: row · prune · rest · nail · bulb · march · charge · deal

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. march — music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. deal — to handle
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. row — to paddle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — a price
  20. rest — a break
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rest — what's left
  23. charge — in control
  24. march — the month

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