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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 116 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 · lash · pitcher · bay · cabinet · march · lean · stock

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. face — to confront
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stock — goods
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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