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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: straw · staff · foot · pass · charge · rock · coach · rest

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rock — music
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — a measure
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. coach — a trainer
  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