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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. object — an aim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — to protest
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — in sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — for catching
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — a thing
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. net — after costs

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