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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.

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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 · land · temple · rest · rush · coach · rock · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. land — a country
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stock — goods
  5. mate — a friend
  6. land — to come down
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — ground
  20. rock — a stone
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — music

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