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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: rash · face · rest · tear · stock · march · ground · racket

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. ground — the earth
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — goods
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — shares
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — a break
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — a series
  19. march — music
  20. tear — to rip
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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