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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 · leaves · charge · band · current · temple · arm · nail

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. band — a music group
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — goods
  22. charge — in control
  23. stock — shares
  24. current — of water

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