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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: coach · last · rest · hand · season · dip · charge · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — to go on
  3. board — to get on
  4. season — in sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rest — a break
  10. last — finally
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — a price
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. dip — to sink
  19. board — a committee
  20. charge — electricity
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. dip — to dunk

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