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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 116 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 · cold · fan · racket · staff · saw · mate · coach

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a partner
  9. charge — in control
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. staff — employees
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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