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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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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 · cabinet · bay · temple · rule · straw · stock · rash

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. file — a tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rash — a series
  8. file — a document
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rule — a law
  18. stock — goods
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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