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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 120 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: face · row · vault · stock · sharp · staff · branch · key

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — a line
  7. key — in music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — to paddle
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. branch — a division
  23. staff — a stick
  24. sharp — exactly

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