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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 120 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: track · stock · chest · rash · saw · face · foot · charge

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. stock — goods
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rash — a series
  6. track — a path
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chest — a box
  11. track — to keep track
  12. charge — a price
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. track — a song
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — hasty
  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