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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.

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: stick · mate · bore · file · present · face · pop · stock

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stock — goods
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pop — to visit
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a line of people
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pop — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. pop — soda

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