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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: bear · deal · rush · rash · stock · leaves · kid · charge

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — shares
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. deal — to handle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — a series
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. kid — child
  16. stock — goods
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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