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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: file · spring · stock · scale · temple · face · nail · ball

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. ball — a dance
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. file — a document
  16. spring — of water
  17. stock — goods
  18. scale — in music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — shares
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. temple — side of the head
  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