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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 · mouse · trunk · mate · craft · face · last · drill

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. last — finally
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stock — goods
  7. craft — boats
  8. mate — a friend
  9. face — to point toward
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. drill — a practice
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — part of the head
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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