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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: date · fall · press · face · rock · wave · fork · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. press — newspapers
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fall — to drop
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fall — the season
  11. press — to push
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — to confront
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stock — shares
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. date — the fruit

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