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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: coach · season · roll · cell · wake · charge · scale · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. shower — to wash
  5. season — of the year
  6. cell — in biology
  7. scale — in music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. scale — size or range
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. charge — a price
  14. roll — a list
  15. shower — rain
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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