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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 · pit · saw · fan · mark · coach · lean · band

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lean — thin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. charge — a price
  12. pit — in a race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a ring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. saw — the tool

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