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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · safe · snap · leaves · cap · drill · stock · temple

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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. last — finally
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — goods
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — to go on
  10. drill — army training
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — shares
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — a practice
  17. last — final
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. cap — a lid
  21. snap — to click
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cap — a hat
  24. temple — a place of worship

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