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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: field · object · leaves · temple · stock · fall · firm · wake

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stock — goods
  3. fall — to drop
  4. object — to protest
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — a thing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. field — a subject
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fall — the season
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fall — to drop
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. leaves — lets stay

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