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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · coach · racket · clip · rest · mate · safe · charge

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rest — what's left
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a friend
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. mate — a partner
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — in control
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — a price
  23. rest — a break
  24. staff — employees

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