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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: stand · wound · snap · stock · last · swing · trunk · saw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stock — goods
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — shares
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. swing — in golf
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. last — to go on
  19. snap — to click
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — to bear
  22. swing — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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