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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 · bear · firm · content · stock · staff · nail · wind

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wind — moving air
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — decided
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. firm — steady
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — a company
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — a soup base
  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