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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: fall · stock · present · pitcher · bay · trunk · snap · patient

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stock — shares
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. present — a gift
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — there
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — the time now
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stock — goods
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fall — the season

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