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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 116 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: stock · coach · lash · bound · net · charge · bore · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. net — for catching
  7. bound — tied together
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — certain
  10. bore — to tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. net — after costs
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. charge — in control
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — shares
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stock — goods
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. charge — a price

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