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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: mug · stock · tube · face · wound · prune · rash · rule

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — a law
  5. face — to confront
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — government
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mug — a face
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stock — shares

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