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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: lean · temple · track · drill · pop · stand · wave · stock

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pop — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — thin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. track — a path
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — shares
  24. stand — to bear

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