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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 120 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
468
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: net · present · trunk · bore · wind · stock · lash · charge

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — there
  6. charge — in control
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — for catching
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — the time now
  20. net — in sport
  21. stock — shares
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — after costs

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