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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: charge · deal · kid · band · lie · bear · rock · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kid — child
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — a price
  6. band — a ring
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — in control
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. deal — to handle

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