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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 120 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: lash · dip · wake · coach · rule · cabinet · spell · charge

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spell — letters
  15. charge — in control
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — government
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rule — a law
  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