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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: face · club · wave · spring · hide · foot · stock · rush

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spring — of water
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — a group
  6. face — to confront
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stock — goods
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. club — for golf
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stock — shares
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. face — part of the head

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