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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: bound · rest · face · hand · fine · stock · stem · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fine — all right
  4. stem — to come from
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bound — certain
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. hand — help
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bound — tied together

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