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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: charge · chest · dip · bark · stock · mark · lash · sharp

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. dip — to sink
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — a trace
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chest — a box
  19. stock — goods
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — exactly

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