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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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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: craft · charge · board · staff · chest · rest · kid · nail

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — in control
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — a price
  14. kid — child
  15. board — to get on
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — a box
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chest — of your body
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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