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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 120 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: temple · bound · leaves · fork · rest · ground · wax · stock

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — obliged
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — a break
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — goods

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