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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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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 · bay · degree · row · charge · wake · chest · rule

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chest — of your body
  3. row — a line
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — government
  8. degree — from a university
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. charge — electricity
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. charge — a price
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chest — a box
  21. rule — a law
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — of your body

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