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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · coach · bank · date · cabinet · face

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. face — part of the head
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to confront
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — of a river

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