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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: temple · mouse · spell · stock · snap · bank · clip · arm

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. clip — a video
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — for paper
  19. snap — to click
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. bank — for money
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. spell — magic

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