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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: dip · charge · coach · prune · pass · stick · staff · cold

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — in control
  8. cold — an illness
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pass — a permit
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — electricity
  17. staff — employees
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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