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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: roll · charge · fan · cabinet · coach · spell · bat · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — in control
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. roll — a list
  15. spell — letters
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — the animal

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