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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: kick · charge · coach · squash · bear · bound · roll · stem

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. squash — to crush
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. roll — a cake
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — on a roll

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