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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: charge · foot · wave · branch · firm · hide · band · coach

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. band — a music group
  11. firm — steady
  12. charge — electricity
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — a division
  16. charge — a price
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a ring
  19. foot — a measure
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — of a bank

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