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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: mouse · shower · wake · charge · saw · scale · nail · cap

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — in music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — before a funeral

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