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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 116 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: mouse · swing · face · rush · bound · cap · rock · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bound — certain
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stock — shares
  24. cap — of ice

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