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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 · staff · game · rash · suit · dip · lean · temple

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. lean — to bend
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. suit — to fit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. staff — employees
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — thin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. game — a match

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