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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 116 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: charge · wax · snap · firm · nail · rest · game · root

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. game — a match
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — the cause
  11. charge — a price
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. snap — to click
  24. game — a kind of play

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