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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: face · bound · kick · content · clip · wax · stock · charge

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. face — to confront
  3. content — the amount
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stock — shares
  8. content — happy
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — to cut
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — in control
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — obliged

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