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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: chest · mate · stand · drill · temple · wake · mark · pitcher

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mark — a grade
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chest — a box
  15. drill — army training
  16. mate — a friend
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — the tool

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