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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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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 · lie · tube · stock · stick · bay · kid · snap

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stock — shares
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — a price
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stock — goods
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kid — to tease
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — a container
  24. charge — electricity

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