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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a document
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — a box
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stock — shares
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — for pool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mine — for digging
  24. file — a tool

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