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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: stock · bulb · snap · last · object · branch · squash · hide

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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. stock — goods
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — final
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — to protest
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. last — finally
  24. squash — the sport

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