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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: sharp · game · saw · rest · coach · charge · wake · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — in control
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. sharp — clever
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a match
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — a kind of play

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