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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: face · stock · track · hide · jam · date · shower · spell

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spell — letters
  4. stock — shares
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — to wash
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — a path
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — rain
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stock — a soup base

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