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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: file · snap · bay · fan · stock · rule · foot · cabinet

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. snap — to click
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — a measure

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