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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: sharp · rule · rest · arm · net · coach · tube · charge

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. rule — government
  5. tube — the underground
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. charge — in control
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rule — a law
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — a price

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