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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: tear · temple · current · pass · chair · stock · straw · net

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. net — for catching
  5. stock — goods
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — shares
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — in sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — to rip
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chair — a leader

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