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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · coach · cold · pass · toast · mine · charge

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cold — an illness
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — a permit
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. charge — a price
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. object — a thing
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. toast — bread
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — a trainer

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