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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 120 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: coach · bay · row · spell · cell · charge · can · hide

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — in control
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cell — a phone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — a price
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a line
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — animal skin

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