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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.

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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: coach · shower · charge · chest · bound · wave · leaves · rock

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — certain
  5. chest — a box
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — obliged
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. shower — rain
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — in control
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chest — of your body

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