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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: wound · bay · nail · charge · arm · plane · stock · deal

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. charge — in control
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. deal — to handle
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — shares
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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