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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: rest · stock · temple · roll · mug · bat · clip · rush

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mug — a face
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. roll — a list
  5. stock — goods
  6. clip — for paper
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — a break
  18. clip — a video
  19. mug — a cup
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. roll — a cake
  24. temple — a place of worship

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