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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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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: stock · rush · toast · face · coach · fine · straw · branch

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — hurry
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fine — high quality
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rush — a thrill

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