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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · chip · charge · root · pass · wake · wax · nail

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pass — a permit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. root — of a word
  7. chip — to eat
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — for betting
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. root — the cause
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — a trail

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