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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: kick · shower · track · charge · rash · drill · nail · hand

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. drill — army training
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — to keep track
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — in control
  13. track — a path
  14. drill — a practice
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — a song
  18. rash — hasty
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. kick — in football

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