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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.

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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: net · bore · cabinet · fine · kid · stem · sharp · temple

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. net — for catching
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — child
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — all right
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. temple — a place of worship

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