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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: rest · bear · current · stock · wound · face · saw · plane

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. face — to confront
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. face — to point toward
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stock — goods

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