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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: staff · mine · firm · coach · bore · stock · cabinet · snap

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. firm — steady
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. staff — a stick
  6. stock — shares
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bore — to drill
  9. firm — decided
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to tire

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