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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: charge · ground · snap · net · spring · coach · fall · safe

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — crushed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fall — to drop
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spring — of water
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. spring — the season
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — a coil
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. snap — to click
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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