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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · shower · mate · stock · mark · safe · cold · face

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. cold — not warm
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stock — shares
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mate — a partner
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — goods
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stock — a soup base

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