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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 · march · bound · pass · coach · chest · rash · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. charge — electricity
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — a series
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — obliged
  15. charge — in control
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. craft — a skill
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bound — tied together
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — certain
  24. chest — of your body

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