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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
468
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 · bear · face · stock · staff · firm · file · stick

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — decided
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. firm — steady
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stock — shares
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stock — goods
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  24. firm — a company

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