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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: trunk · hide · stick · rush · stock · can · charge · patient

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — in control
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — shares
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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