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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: saw · drill · charge · hand · coach · wake · game · last

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. drill — a practice
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — help
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — a price
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — army training
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hand — in cards
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. game — a match

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