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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: charge · ball · saw · foot · tear · current · stand · coach

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — happening now
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — of water
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a dance
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. tear — to rip
  24. current — electric

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