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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: can · coach · charge · roll · lash · last · board · swing

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. roll — a cake
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. charge — electricity
  11. last — final
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — a price
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — in control
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — a list
  24. last — to go on

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