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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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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: face · stick · fine · mug · stock · straw · fan · march

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — all right
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mug — a cup
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. march — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — shares

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