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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: trunk · face · rock · game · bank · stock · firm · hide

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — for money
  3. firm — a company
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. firm — decided
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — goods
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. bank — of a river
  17. face — part of the head
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — shares

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