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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: snap · lash · stock · tube · face · cabinet · present · jam

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stock — goods
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. present — a gift
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — the time now
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — part of the head

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