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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: file · fan · kick · snap · lash · stock · stand · content

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. file — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — shares
  22. snap — to click
  23. content — the amount
  24. file — a line of people

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