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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: firm · charge · stick · swing · deal · coach · lean · can

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — to bend
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. lean — thin
  19. charge — in control
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — in golf

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