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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: lean · wind · saw · nail · bass · stick · last · charge

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — thin
  3. last — finally
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — final
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — in control
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — low music
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. last — to go on
  24. charge — electricity

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