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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · saw · stick · hide · stock · scale · bank

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to confront
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — shares
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bank — of a river
  16. scale — in music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bank — for money

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