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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: wave · wake · face · present · can · stock · tube · chest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — goods
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wake — a trail
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stock — shares
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — to be able to
  12. face — to confront
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. tube — the underground
  20. present — there
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. can — a tin

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