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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 · last · charge · cell · coach · hand · rush · lie

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hand — help
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — final
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — to go on
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rush — hurry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. charge — in control

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