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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: bore · fork · cold · charge · plane · object · temple · stock

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. object — a thing
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stock — shares
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — in control
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — a price
  22. cold — an illness
  23. object — an aim
  24. plane — a tool

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