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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: wax · wave · nail · trunk · drill · wind · charge · toast

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — to grow
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — in control
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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