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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · sharp · craft · stock · face · clip · tear · mate

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. face — to confront
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. clip — a video
  19. tear — from crying
  20. clip — for paper
  21. craft — boats
  22. stock — goods
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stock — shares

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