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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: bore · temple · trunk · snap · saw · coach · ball · stock

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stock — goods
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bore — to tire
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stock — shares

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