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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
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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 · charge · stock · temple · chest · bark · object · staff

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — a thing
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — shares
  17. chest — a box
  18. stock — goods
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. object — to protest
  21. charge — a price
  22. bark — to shout
  23. object — an aim
  24. chest — of your body

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