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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 · temple · jam · drill · safe · wake · saw · net

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. drill — a practice
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. drill — army training
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. net — after costs
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. net — for catching
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stock — shares
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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