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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kid — to tease
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — government
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — child
  14. rule — a law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stock — shares
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. snap — to click

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