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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: lash · nail · key · cell · march · charge · tube · wave

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. charge — in control
  8. march — the month
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. charge — electricity
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. charge — a price
  14. tube — a container
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. key — for a lock
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — with your hand

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