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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 · chest · suit · sharp · bulb · wax · temple · fan

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stock — goods
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. suit — clothes
  16. chest — a box
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wax — to grow
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chest — of your body

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