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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: leaves · wave · pound · current · last · charge · ground · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — a position
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. current — of water
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ground — the earth
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. last — finally
  23. ground — crushed
  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