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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: drill · charge · coach · cell · row · toast · temple · tear

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. toast — bread
  3. charge — in control
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. row — to paddle
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — electricity
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — army training
  14. tear — from crying
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cell — a phone
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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