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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 120 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: dip · stem · rash · face · saw · stick · stock · board

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stem — to come from
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stock — goods
  12. face — to point toward
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rash — a series
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to confront
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stock — shares
  22. board — a committee
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to sink

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