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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: clip · bank · pitch · lie · lean · bark · key · temple

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lie — to recline
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bank — of a river
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lean — thin
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — the most important part
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — to shout
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. key — in music

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