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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: lie · rush · saw · game · tear · coach · scale · charge

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. saw — the tool
  3. game — a match
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — electricity
  12. scale — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — a price
  19. tear — from crying
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lie — an untruth

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