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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: snap · temple · mouse · fall · stock · hand · wake · lean

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lean — thin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fall — the season
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — help

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