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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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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: stock · pit · squash · mate · bank · face · fall · ruler

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — to confront
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — the season
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mate — a friend

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