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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 · stock · bear · lean · bound · snap · wave · bat

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. bound — certain
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. charge — a price
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — goods
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — in an idiom

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