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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 120 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: bound · trunk · snap · stand · lash · key · mouse · tube

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — the underground
  24. key — for a lock

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