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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — in control
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. file — a tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — help
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — to go on
  20. file — a document
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. deal — an agreement

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