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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: lean · bark · chair · charge · pop · coach · cap · tear

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chair — a leader
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tear — to rip
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — soda
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. charge — electricity

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