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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: bore · wake · fall · present · spell · stock · temple · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. present — there
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — shares
  18. present — a gift
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — the time now

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