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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.

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: charge · hide · stock · perch · straw · hand · track · fan

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. charge — a price
  3. hand — in cards
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — a path
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. track — a song
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — in control
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — electricity

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