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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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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 · file · pop · press · stick · kick · snap · deal

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. file — a tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pop — soda
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. kick — in football
  21. press — to push
  22. snap — to click
  23. deal — a big deal
  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