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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: deal · squash · fork · stock · rush · bank · face · rest

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — to crush
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fork — in a road
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stock — shares
  24. face — to point toward

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