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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: staff · stock · snap · bore · fall · charge · rush · degree

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. charge — in control
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — the season
  6. charge — a price
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — a stick
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stock — shares
  19. fall — to drop
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rush — hurry
  22. staff — employees
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — to hurry

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