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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: rush · charge · toast · wake · coach · bark · row · current

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. toast — bread
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. charge — in control
  11. row — a line
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — electric
  14. charge — electricity
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — of water
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — hurry
  23. charge — a price
  24. row — to paddle

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