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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: board · mate · stick · rash · stock · face · mouse · cabinet

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to confront
  16. stock — shares
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — goods
  19. mate — a friend
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. face — to point toward
  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