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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: bulb · stock · rest · wake · hand · tube · fan · face

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stock — goods
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. face — to confront
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — in cards
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — help
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tube — a container

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