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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: bank · can · board · charge · wake · coach · last · tear

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — a price
  5. can — a tin
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — final
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. last — to go on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tear — to rip
  21. charge — in control
  22. tear — from crying
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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