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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 · band · coach · lash · march · mug · mark · ground

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — a price
  8. mark — a grade
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — crushed
  18. march — music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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