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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
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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: chip · charge · straw · march · row · coach · lean · bear

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — to bend
  15. march — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lean — thin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — to put up with

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