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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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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: snap · drill · fall · mouse · lie · stock · chip · staff

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — the animal
  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