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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: deal · ball · present · shower · coach · wake · calf · charge

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — a price
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ball — a great time
  8. present — there
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. shower — rain
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — a gift
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. present — the time now

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