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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — to protest
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — help
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — a trace
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — a tool
  24. hand — in cards

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