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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: rash · rock · stock · snap · spring · lie · press · stand

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to click
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — a series
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. stock — shares
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. press — a publisher

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