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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: stock · season · snap · cap · cabinet · wind · staff · firm

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — of the year
  6. firm — decided
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. snap — to click
  9. stock — goods
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — a company
  16. cap — of ice
  17. staff — a stick
  18. firm — steady
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stock — shares
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — a hat
  24. staff — employees

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