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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · stock · kick · hide · present · face · wound · ground

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stock — shares
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — there
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stock — goods
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to confront
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — the time now
  22. ground — the earth
  23. face — part of the head
  24. hide — animal skin

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