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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: pound · hide · drill · calf · temple · bark · stock · plane

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stock — shares
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — a weight
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. drill — army training

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