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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: cabinet · face · mate · branch · ball · stock · hide · row

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a dance
  3. face — part of the head
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — a partner
  24. row — a quarrel

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