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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 120 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: bat · current · staff · charge · bay · mine · wake · coach

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. charge — in control
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — happening now
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bay — a horse colour

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