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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: cap · net · tube · stock · straw · wound · temple · roll

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a lid
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tube — a container
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — goods
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — shares
  16. net — after costs
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. net — in sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. straw — a straw man

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