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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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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: perch · fall · pit · face · rest · bay · bank · stock

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fall — the season
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — goods
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stock — shares
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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