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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: hide · stock · face · saw · wound · bowl · rest · temple

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wound — an injury
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. rest — a break
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — goods
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bowl — a football final

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