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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: wound · stock · firm · mouse · face · rest · saw · vault

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — a break
  5. face — to confront
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. face — to point toward
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. vault — a safe
  13. firm — decided
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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