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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 120 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: coach · chair · present · lie · object · root · charge · cold

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. object — to protest
  3. present — there
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — a price
  12. cold — not warm
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — a gift
  15. lie — to recline
  16. object — a thing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. present — the time now
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a leader

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