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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: stock · clip · temple · mug · key · rush · calf · march

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — a cup
  4. key — for a lock
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. march — music
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. clip — for paper
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. march — the month
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. clip — a video
  22. stock — goods
  23. key — the most important part
  24. clip — to cut

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