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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: toast · stock · wound · stand · fan · face · bore · bear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — to bear
  5. toast — bread
  6. bore — to tire
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — to confront
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stock — a soup base

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