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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: face · content · roll · chair · bound · rush · stock · foot

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. face — to point toward
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. chair — a leader
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stock — shares
  13. bound — obliged
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — happy
  16. roll — a list
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stock — goods
  19. roll — a cake
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bound — certain
  23. chair — a professorship
  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