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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 120 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: squash · face · rush · can · race · temple · stock · bark

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — to be able to
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rush — hurry
  6. race — humankind
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. stock — goods
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stock — shares
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — to crush
  24. temple — side 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