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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: bear · wind · kid · coach · stock · charge · rush · can

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. can — a tin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. kid — to tease
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kid — child
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. can — to be able to
  24. coach — a trainer

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