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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · spell · face · stock · wake · land · drill · cabinet

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wake — a trail
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — shares
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. drill — army training
  10. land — to come down
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — goods
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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