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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: snap · pass · coach · wax · rush · charge · hand · cold

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — a price
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cold — an illness
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — in cards
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rush — to hurry

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