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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: club · rush · stock · face · arm · board · wake · spell

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spell — letters
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to confront
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. club — for golf
  8. spell — a short time
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — a committee
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stock — shares
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — a thrill

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