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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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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: hide · stock · face · shower · racket · wound · rock · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — to wash
  4. face — part of the head
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. shower — rain
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — music
  24. hide — to keep secret

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