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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · branch · temple · chest · perch · bark · lash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — goods
  5. current — electric
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — happening now
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. current — of water
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stock — shares
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — the fish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chest — a box
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stock — a soup base

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