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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: fan · key · game · nail · hand · bark · charge · tube

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — the most important part
  4. charge — in control
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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