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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · wind · mug · bear · tube · chair · stock · scale

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. chair — a leader
  3. face — to confront
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mug — a cup
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mug — a face
  9. scale — in music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. mug — to rob
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stock — shares
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. face — to point toward
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tube — a container
  24. wind — to turn a key

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