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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · charge · coach · lean · date · capital · spell · mug

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — a face
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — a cup
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — letters
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — a city
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mug — to rob
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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