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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · bark · chest · coach · pass · press · charge · mate

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — to push
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chest — of your body
  11. charge — a price
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mate — to breed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — in control
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pass — to succeed

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