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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · fall · root · cold · wake · mug · row · charge

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. charge — electricity
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cold — not warm
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — in control
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — the season
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — a face
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — to drop

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