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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: roll · charge · present · nail · arm · wave · wound · mate

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. roll — a cake
  3. present — there
  4. charge — in control
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mate — a friend
  7. roll — a list
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — a partner
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — a price
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wave — of the sea
  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