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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 120 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: stand · face · chest · season · bulb · board · stock · fine

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. stock — shares
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. board — a committee
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — goods
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. season — of the year
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chest — a box
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fine — all right
  19. face — part of the head
  20. board — to get on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — to bear

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