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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: rule · bore · hand · charge · stock · dip · temple · march

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. charge — in control
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stock — goods
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — the month
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — government
  15. march — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rule — a law
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. hand — help

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