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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 116 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: spell · race · stock · trunk · snap · spring · hand · press

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. race — humankind
  4. spring — of water
  5. race — a contest
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — a short time
  8. snap — to click
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spell — magic
  12. stock — shares
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stock — goods
  15. spell — letters
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. press — newspapers
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hand — help
  21. press — to push
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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