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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · charge · nail · drill · root · last · bowl · chest

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. root — of a word
  4. last — final
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chest — a box
  12. last — finally
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. root — the cause
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — army training
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — in control
  23. root — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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