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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 116 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 · prune · chair · rush · charge · wave · capital · mark

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. capital — a city
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. capital — money
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — a leader
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — a grade

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