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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: drill · rock · mark · leaves · stock · temple · saw · straw

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. drill — a practice
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. drill — army training
  24. stock — goods

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