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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: stock · temple · sharp · fan · cabinet · pound · wave · fine

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — goods
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fine — all right
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — with your hand

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