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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: toast · ground · face · can · chip · charge · coach · arm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ground — crushed
  5. face — part of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — to confront
  11. charge — a price
  12. chip — to eat
  13. toast — bread
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. charge — electricity

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