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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: stock · face · mate · wave · drill · wound · hide · chest

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. drill — army training
  3. face — to confront
  4. drill — the tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stock — goods
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mate — to breed
  20. chest — a box
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. chest — of your body

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