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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.

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: coach · racket · hide · ball · charge · race · row · lean

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — the arms race
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — a price
  14. row — a line
  15. lean — to bend
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ball — a dance
  24. race — humankind

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