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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 · charge · current · dip · mine · coach · tube · bark

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — to shout
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lie — to recline
  17. current — of water
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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