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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 · fall · patient · lash · bear · temple · key · chip

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. fall — the season
  6. key — for a lock
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — for betting
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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