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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · face · spell · pit · hide · chest · lean · key

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stock — goods
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — thin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spell — letters
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chest — a box
  23. spell — magic
  24. stock — a soup base

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