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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: hide · charge · straw · chest · rash · coach · dip · race

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chest — a box
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chest — of your body
  20. charge — a price
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — animal skin

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