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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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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: temple · bay · stock · mate · deal · cabinet · drill · fall

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fall — the season
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. deal — an agreement

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