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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 · season · prune · coach · last · can · lash · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. charge — electricity
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — to trim
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — to be able to
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. coach — a trainer

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