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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: charge · mark · nail · hand · fan · tear · pound · stock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. charge — in control
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — goods
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — a price
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stock — shares
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. tear — to rip
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fan — a supporter

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