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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: chip · leaves · cabinet · coach · lash · charge · mouse · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — to go away
  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