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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 · leaves · bore · cap · temple · nail · mug · craft

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — to tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a hat
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stock — shares
  21. mug — a face
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — of a tree

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