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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: cold · mouse · safe · snap · band · coach · charge · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. band — a music group
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — in control
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cold — an illness
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. scale — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cold — not warm
  22. band — a ring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mouse — the animal

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