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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 120 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: calf · stock · snap · current · wax · coach · drill · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wax — to grow
  3. drill — army training
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. current — happening now
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stock — goods
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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