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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: face · content · rush · ground · bay · stock · season · lash

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — a position
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. season — in sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. season — of the year
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. stock — goods
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stock — shares
  21. ground — crushed
  22. face — to confront
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. season — to add flavour

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