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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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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: toast · cold · saw · present · charge · nail · content · wake

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — there
  4. toast — bread
  5. present — the time now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — a price
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cold — not warm
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. content — the amount
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. content — happy
  19. cold — an illness
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wake — a trail
  24. saw — the tool

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