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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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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: firm · snap · stock · chest · rash · bank · stem · present

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. present — there
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rash — a series
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chest — a box
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — a gift
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — decided

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