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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: rock · kid · can · wake · stand · charge · cell · hand

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. charge — a price
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rock — a stone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — help
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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