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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: stock · board · object · face · spring · mouse · nail · shower

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. spring — the season
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. object — an aim
  15. spring — of water
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. face — to confront
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — goods

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