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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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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: charge · bear · chair · coach · snap · spring · pop · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — the season
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to click
  10. pop — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spring — of water
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pop — to visit
  24. coach — a trainer

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