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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 120 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: object · net · nail · charge · chest · spell · wave · lie

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. spell — letters
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — an aim
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. charge — a price
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. net — for catching
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — a box

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