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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
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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: rule · charge · fan · drill · coach · object · sharp · last

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — the tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. last — final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rule — a law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — to go on
  20. drill — army training
  21. object — to protest
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rule — government
  24. last — finally

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