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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: game · coach · mine · nail · charge · wind · rock · wave

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — in control
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rock — music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — of the sea

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