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

Word bank: snap · rest · wound · stock · clip · swing · stand · rock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — in golf
  8. clip — to cut
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stock — shares
  12. swing — music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rest — a break
  18. rock — a stone
  19. clip — a video
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. snap — to click
  24. rock — music

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