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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: fall · key · ground · coach · cabinet · rash · charge · band

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. charge — in control
  3. band — a music group
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a ring
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ground — a position
  22. fall — the season
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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