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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: coach · squash · charge · date · fall · file · leaves · sharp

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — in control
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. file — a tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — electricity
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. file — a line of people
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — the season
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — the sport
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. date — the fruit
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. charge — a price
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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