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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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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: arm · board · coach · bowl · charge · snap · wind · row

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. board — a committee
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — electricity
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to click
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. row — to paddle
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — a price
  22. board — to get on
  23. row — a line
  24. board — a flat piece

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