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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: stock · spring · plane · charge · stand · rock · chest · trunk

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — shares
  5. chest — a box
  6. spring — the season
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. plane — a tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — music
  24. spring — of water

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