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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · stock · cabinet · rash · snap · last · foot · wind

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — finally
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pop — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. snap — to click
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — shares
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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