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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: bulb · coach · cabinet · charge · date · chair · mine · rush

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — a price
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — on the calendar

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