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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: mug · wake · bat · stock · drill · kid · temple · suit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mug — to rob
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — a trail
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kid — child
  12. bat — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — army training
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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