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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: stand · charge · nail · swing · bark · wave · ground · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — in control
  4. ground — a position
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ground — the earth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — a price

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