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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 · mate · object · staff · temple · pop · face · jam

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. object — a thing
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. staff — employees
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — employees
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pop — music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — shares
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stock — goods
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pop — soda
  23. face — to point toward
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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