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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 120 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: spring · charge · drill · plane · coach · lash · deal · nail

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — in control
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spring — of water
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. drill — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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