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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 · root · rash · band · wave · nail · face · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — a series
  6. root — the cause
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — electricity
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a word

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