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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 · root · hide · racket · temple · rest · saw · face

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — shares
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. racket — for tennis
  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