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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: temple · bore · wound · sharp · stock · trunk · suit · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stock — goods
  4. wound — an injury
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. suit — to fit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. suit — in cards
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — clothes
  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