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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
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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 · cabinet · deal · pop · temple · bay · wound · arm

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stock — shares
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — goods
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — soda
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — side of the head

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