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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: toast · nail · drill · roll · firm · charge · fine · spring

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. firm — decided
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. firm — a company
  7. toast — bread
  8. charge — a price
  9. spring — the season
  10. firm — steady
  11. charge — in control
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — a list
  20. fine — high quality
  21. drill — army training
  22. roll — a cake
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — a coil

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