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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: bat · hide · temple · bound · stock · land · safe · key

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — to come down
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bat — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bound — obliged
  15. key — in music
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bound — certain
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. land — ground
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — a country
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. key — the most important part

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