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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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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 · press · fork · bowl · wave · rest · lash · stock

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — a break
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — to lash out

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