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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: face · rest · hide · chest · stock · stem · object · present

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — a thing
  3. stock — goods
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — there
  10. object — to protest
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — part of the head
  15. present — the time now
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — a break
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. present — a gift
  22. stock — shares
  23. object — an aim
  24. rest — what's left

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