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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · stock · temple · trunk · fall · game · bound · toast

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bound — tied together
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fall — to drop
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stock — goods
  7. bound — certain
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — the season
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. toast — bread
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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