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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: leaves · stock · key · last · bulb · lash · bound · snap

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bound — tied together
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to click
  10. bound — certain
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bound — obliged
  13. last — final
  14. stock — goods
  15. last — finally
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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