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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 116 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: stock · fine · bay · snap · rush · coach · mark · vault

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. snap — to click
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stock — shares
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — goods
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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