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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: charge · bore · stick · prune · shower · bass · board · nail

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — to get on
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — a committee
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bore — to drill
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — rain

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