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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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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 · lie · temple · stick · arm · spell · race · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — a contest
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — shares
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spell — letters
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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