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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: vault · stock · leaves · stick · kick · shower · face · mouse

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stock — shares
  13. kick — in football
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — goods
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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