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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: wake · lean · can · face · hide · stock · bass · track

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stock — shares
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. track — a song
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. track — a path
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. stock — goods
  24. bass — low music

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