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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · object · coach · plane · drill · charge · chest · cap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. charge — a price
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. drill — a practice
  13. band — a music group
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — an aim
  19. cap — a lid
  20. object — a thing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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