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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: roll · charge · nail · fall · rest · safe · bear · ground

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rest — a break
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rest — what's left
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a cake
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a list
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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