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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: drill · trunk · land · temple · charge · rest · craft · stock

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — to come down
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — ground
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — a country
  11. rest — a break
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. craft — a skill
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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