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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.

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: stick · tube · hide · arm · face · wax · net · stock

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — to confront
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — part of the head
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — for catching
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. net — in sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stock — goods
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — to grow
  24. tube — the underground

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