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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 · nail · stick · date · land · foot · shower · rush

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — in control
  5. shower — to wash
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — ground
  8. date — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — a price
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. land — to come down
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rush — to hurry

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