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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 120 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 · ruler · straw · face · snap · chip · rest · kick

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to click
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rest — a break
  8. face — part of the head
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. kick — in football
  18. face — to confront
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. face — to point toward

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