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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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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: hand · coach · craft · charge · rule · stick · safe · wind

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. hand — in cards
  20. charge — electricity
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — help
  24. wind — moving air

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