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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: fall · pop · stock · face · branch · bark · toast · key

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pop — to visit
  5. key — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stock — shares
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pop — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — soda
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. toast — bread
  24. stock — goods

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