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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
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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: season · charge · spell · swing · squash · lie · coach · bank

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spell — magic
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — the sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — in control
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — a price
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — to add flavour

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