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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: row · plane · coach · can · lie · wave · chip · charge

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — a price
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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