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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 124 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 · band · rest · charge · saw · stick · bank · cue

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a music group
  7. charge — electricity
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rest — a break
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rest — what's left
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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