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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.

Words on the sheet
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: stock · face · cabinet · march · rash · kick · content · prune

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. stock — goods
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. march — music
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — part of the head
  15. march — the month
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kick — in football
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — hasty
  22. march — the month
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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