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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: arm · charge · rush · wake · chip · coach · last · cap

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — to go on
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. last — finally
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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