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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: deal · charge · jam · rock · foot · coach · wake · lean

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rock — a stone
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. charge — in control
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lean — thin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — a price
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. jam — in traffic

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