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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: coach · cabinet · ground · tear · suit · season · cap · charge

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — to fit
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — a position
  11. cap — a hat
  12. suit — in cards
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — a price
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — of the year
  21. suit — clothes
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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