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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: bore · wax · stock · present · net · charge · rest · face

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — after costs
  3. wax — to grow
  4. charge — a price
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. present — a gift
  7. rest — a break
  8. present — there
  9. stock — shares
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — to tire
  13. face — to point toward
  14. net — for catching
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — the time now
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bore — to drill
  24. face — to confront

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