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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: charge · season · fall · wound · coach · wave · press · rule

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — government
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — a law
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — of the year
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. charge — electricity
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. charge — in control
  22. press — to push
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — an injury

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