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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: charge · coach · dip · bay · bound · prune · cold · last

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cold — not warm
  3. charge — in control
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — finally
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — a price
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — certain
  15. last — to go on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — final
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. dip — to sink

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