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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: club · lash · stock · lean · face · tube · trunk · snap

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. club — for golf
  5. face — to confront
  6. tube — a container
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — the underground
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. club — for dancing
  18. snap — to click
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — a group
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. face — to point toward

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