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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: wake · pass · firm · cabinet · charge · present · trunk · coach

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. charge — in control
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — the time now
  9. charge — a price
  10. firm — a company
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. firm — decided
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. firm — steady
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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