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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.

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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: temple · bowl · hand · stock · straw · firm · lean · patient

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — decided
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stock — shares
  13. hand — help
  14. lean — thin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — a football final

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