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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: content · game · last · charge · nail · cell · wave · root

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. last — to go on
  5. game — wild animals
  6. last — finally
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — the amount
  9. game — a match
  10. content — happy
  11. root — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cell — in biology
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — the cause
  19. cell — a phone
  20. last — final
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. nail — on a finger
  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