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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: bound · nail · press · board · snap · stock · temple · mate

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stock — goods
  3. mate — to breed
  4. board — to get on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — a committee
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — a publisher
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mate — a partner
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mate — a friend
  19. press — to push
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stock — shares

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