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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: stock · race · bear · net · face · lean · perch · key

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. net — for catching
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — in music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. stock — shares
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stock — goods
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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