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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 120 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: key · clip · stock · straw · pit · temple · ruler · spell

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stock — shares
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. clip — a video
  17. key — the most important part
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — letters
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spell — magic
  23. pit — a hole
  24. spell — a short time

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