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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: object · charge · tear · cell · safe · pop · nail · rock

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rock — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pop — to visit
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — to protest
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — a price
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pop — soda
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. charge — electricity

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