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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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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: rule · lash · coach · charge · cell · dip · fork · pound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rule — a law
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. charge — a price
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — electricity
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — in control
  10. rule — government
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — in biology
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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