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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.

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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: wind · stand · bowl · face · mate · leaves · rash · stock

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rash — a series
  5. mate — a friend
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — goods
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — hasty

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