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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: band · charge · lean · row · nail · lash · rest · content

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — happy
  3. charge — a price
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — electricity
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. row — a line
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  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