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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a great time
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. dip — to sink
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — to add flavour

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