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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: mate · stock · face · cell · trunk · perch · object · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. object — an aim
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. object — to protest
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. key — for a lock
  14. perch — the fish
  15. face — to confront
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mate — to breed

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