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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: wake · cell · snap · drill · cabinet · stock · bulb · perch

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to click
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — goods
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stock — a soup base

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