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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: arm · charge · straw · rest · vault · craft · stock · staff

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rest — a break
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. staff — employees
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. stock — shares
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — a stick
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a skill
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. staff — employees

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