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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: charge · straw · season · cell · track · nail · drill · plane

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — a tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. drill — a practice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. drill — the tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — a path
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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