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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 112 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: bat · wax · cell · stock · face · staff · safe · row

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — goods
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. row — a line
  8. wax — to grow
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. staff — employees
  24. stock — shares

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