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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: coach · can · bulb · rash · bass · charge · deal · wind

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — in control
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — low music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rash — a series
  23. deal — an agreement
  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