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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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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: trunk · coach · snap · wind · patient · charge · rest · track

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. track — a song
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. snap — to click
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rest — a break
  20. track — a path
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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