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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: stock · charge · trunk · hide · chip · bear · toast · rule

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. charge — a price
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — a law
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rule — government
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. charge — in control
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stock — shares
  22. toast — bread
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of a tree

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