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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: leaves · charge · band · mate · plane · mine · coach · bank

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. plane — a tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — in control
  19. band — a ring
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. leaves — of a tree

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