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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · wake · nail · face · charge · key · rest · cold

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. charge — a price
  8. rest — a break
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rest — what's left
  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