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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: last · chest · roll · foot · mate · wake · charge · deal

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mate — a partner
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. last — to go on
  6. chest — a box
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — electricity
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. charge — in control
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. last — finally
  16. roll — a cake
  17. last — final
  18. mate — to breed
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. charge — a price

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