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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: stock · nail · saw · key · chair · hide · temple · pit

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. hide — animal skin

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