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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · press · stock · object · toast · stem · mark

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. face — to confront
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. object — an aim
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bark — to shout
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. press — to push
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. face — part of the head
  22. toast — bread
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — of a plant

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