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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: coach · rest · firm · season · land · charge · rush · arm

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. land — ground
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. charge — a price
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — steady
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — in control
  19. firm — a company
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. firm — decided
  22. charge — electricity
  23. season — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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