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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · stock · trunk · fall · key · rush · snap · craft

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rush — hurry
  4. snap — to click
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fall — to drop
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. band — a ring
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — boats
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a music group

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