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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: stock · wake · leaves · charge · object · face · spring · craft

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — in control
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. face — to confront
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. object — to protest
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — a price
  13. craft — a skill
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — a thing
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. face — to point toward
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spring — of water
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. face — part of the head
  24. object — an aim

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