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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: current · lie · last · coach · board · rash · chest · charge

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — electric
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — a price
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — a series
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chest — a box
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — in control
  22. lie — to recline
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — a trainer

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