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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 · bulb · sharp · mouse · swing · stock · face · roll

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. swing — in golf
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. swing — to play on
  9. snap — to click
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — clever
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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