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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: band · chest · firm · ruler · stock · face · saw · ball

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — goods
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ball — a dance
  18. band — a ring
  19. firm — a company
  20. face — to confront
  21. band — a music group
  22. ball — a great time
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chest — of your body

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