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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.

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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 · swing · charge · bank · ruler · safe · field · lie

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. charge — a price
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — farmland
  11. bank — of a river
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — electricity
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — in control
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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