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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 · wound · present · face · pass · staff · coach · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. stock — shares
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — the time now
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — for light
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — to confront
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pass — to spend time

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