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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: kid · arm · face · stock · bass · drill · wake · ruler

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stock — shares
  6. face — to point toward
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. drill — army training
  13. face — to confront
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — child
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bass — low music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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