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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 · chest · bulb · calf · bear · can · coach · sharp

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. charge — in control
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — a price
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — to be able to
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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