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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
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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: stock · prune · craft · leaves · face · charge · wound · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. charge — electricity
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — to go away
  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