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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: mug · charge · mark · swing · stock · face · hide · key

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — a face
  4. mark — a grade
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stock — goods
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. key — the most important part
  12. face — to confront
  13. mark — a trace
  14. face — part of the head
  15. swing — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. key — in music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. charge — in control
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. charge — a price
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mug — a cup

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