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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: nail · plane · spell · wind · coach · rest · charge · sharp

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spell — a short time
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spell — letters
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — in control
  24. spell — magic

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