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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 · racket · wind · kid · bear · can · stock · arm

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. face — to confront
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. face — part of the head
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stock — shares
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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