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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: hide · wave · nail · wind · bore · sharp · pitcher · charge

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bore — to tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wave — with your hand

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