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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · bore · pound · temple · saw · bat · hide · stock

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bore — to drill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stock — goods
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bat — in an idiom

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