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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · wave · trunk · face · pit · stock · shower · object

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. row — a line
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stock — shares
  6. object — to protest
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. object — a thing
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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