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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: nail · rush · mug · stock · row · pop · face · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — to visit
  4. roll — a list
  5. pop — music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. row — to paddle
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — goods
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mug — a face
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pop — soda
  19. face — to point toward
  20. row — a line
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. face — part of the head

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