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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: kick · can · fall · chest · temple · wake · stock · squash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. can — a tin
  2. kick — in football
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — shares
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chest — a box
  19. stock — goods
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wake — a trail
  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