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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
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: stock · last · patient · saw · pit · wax · temple · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stock — shares
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wax — to grow
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. last — final
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — finally
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. last — to go on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stock — goods
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. patient — a sick person

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