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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · charge · nail · cap · fall · sharp · wind · mine

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — for digging
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — the season
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — a lid
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — of ice
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — a price
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — a tin

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