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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: wave · mine · charge · press · row · coach · object · saw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — to push
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — in control
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. charge — electricity
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. object — to protest
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mine — for digging
  17. object — an aim
  18. row — a line
  19. charge — a price
  20. object — a thing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. coach — a trainer

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