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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 120 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: kick · hand · wake · root · chip · nail · charge · key

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. root — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — the cause
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — electricity
  24. key — in music

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