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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · can · chair · craft · stock · date · suit · face

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to click
  8. stock — shares
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chair — a leader
  11. face — to point toward
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — a skill
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — boats
  16. date — the fruit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. face — part of the head
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — goods

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