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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: fan · bound · object · key · craft · temple · clip · stem

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. object — to protest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — tied together
  8. object — a thing
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. object — an aim
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stem — to come from
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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