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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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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: mark · shower · bay · stock · face · pass · trunk · saw

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She's very handy 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. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — the tool
  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