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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: row · bay · spell · straw · face · stock · lean · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. row — a line
  4. stock — goods
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — to paddle
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — thin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. spell — magic
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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