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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: snap · board · spell · hide · file · stock · rule · fall

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spell — letters
  6. rule — a law
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fall — the season
  18. snap — to click
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. file — a document
  22. spell — magic
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — to drop

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