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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: lie · trunk · stock · coach · squash · bay · charge · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. row — a line
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. charge — a price
  13. lie — to recline
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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