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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 120 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
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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: bowl · rash · coach · mine · plane · face · charge · swing

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. face — to confront
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. charge — a price
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. swing — in golf
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. swing — music
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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