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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
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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: trunk · saw · snap · file · fall · mug · stock · pit

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — the season
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — in a race
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. file — a document
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. snap — to click
  23. stock — goods
  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