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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: charge · wax · spring · mouse · board · saw · nail · staff

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. board — to get on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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