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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: mouse · drill · face · chip · squash · stock · wake · bay

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — to confront
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — goods
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. wake — a trail
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wake — before a funeral

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