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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: pit · mouse · stock · lash · branch · date · face · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stock — goods
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — to confront
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pit — in a race
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — a division
  21. pit — a hole
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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