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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: rash · ground · stock · face · temple · dip · mate · rest

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rash — a series
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stock — goods
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mate — a partner

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