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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: nail · kid · stock · hide · charge · leaves · branch · wake

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kid — child
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — a price
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — a trail
  13. charge — electricity
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stock — shares
  22. branch — a division
  23. kid — to tease
  24. nail — for a hammer

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