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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: stock · suit · temple · rash · staff · leaves · drill · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. drill — a practice
  4. suit — to fit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — hasty
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — to go away

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