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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: fan · lie · shower · coach · charge · file · pitch · chair

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pitch — completely
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a document
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — rain
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — a price
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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