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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
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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 · suit · tear · swing · content · stock · trunk · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. face — part of the head
  3. content — the amount
  4. face — to point toward
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — shares
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — for digging
  9. swing — in golf
  10. suit — to fit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. swing — music
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tear — from crying
  20. face — to confront
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. swing — to play on
  24. tear — from crying

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