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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 · bound · staff · last · charge · craft · wake · bass

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. charge — in control
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — boats
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. last — finally
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. last — final
  23. craft — a skill
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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