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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: bay · trunk · temple · stock · face · rash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — part of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — goods
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — shares
  17. face — to confront
  18. rash — a series

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