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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: rock · clip · wind · can · stock · face · bowl · coach

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. clip — to cut
  4. can — a tin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — goods
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. face — to confront
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wind — moving air
  17. clip — for paper
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stock — shares
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rock — music

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