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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 · coach · lie · chip · stock · fork · cabinet · root

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to click
  4. stock — shares
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — the cause
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — goods
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — for betting
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. root — of a plant
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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