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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: last · nail · charge · rock · leaves · bat · deal · wind

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — in control
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. last — final
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. bat — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. charge — a price

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