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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.

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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 · rash · coach · chip · wind · bay · wound · cabinet

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stock — goods
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — for betting
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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