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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 116 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: mark · charge · hand · coach · chair · trunk · bass · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spring — of water
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mark — a grade
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. charge — a price
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bass — low music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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