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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: net · stock · face · lean · fine · drill · mouse · chair

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — to bend
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — after costs
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — to confront
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. drill — a practice
  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