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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 116 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: content · key · perch · lie · stock · clip · rest · calf

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rest — a break
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stock — goods
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — to recline
  10. clip — to cut
  11. content — the amount
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — happy
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. key — in music
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. clip — a video
  24. perch — for a bird

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