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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: stock · suit · cabinet · lean · court · temple · wave · bat

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. court — for sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stock — shares
  20. court — of law
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. court — of a king
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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