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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 124 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 · safe · face · rest · clip · dip · prune · pound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — goods
  3. face — to point toward
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. clip — a video
  6. pound — a weight
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. face — to confront
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rest — a break

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