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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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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — thin
  5. band — a music group
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — finally
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. last — final
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. last — to go on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a ring
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — to go away

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