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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 120 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: bound · prune · face · mouse · bear · stock · mate · shower

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — tied together
  7. shower — rain
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mate — a friend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bound — certain
  22. stock — goods
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bear — the animal

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