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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: last · bark · root · rest · clip · nail · key · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — to shout
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — for a lock
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rest — a break
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — the cause
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. last — finally
  20. clip — a video
  21. key — in music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. last — final
  24. charge — in control

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