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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.

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: lie · charge · patient · band · mug · coach · row · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a music group

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