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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stock — goods
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. land — ground
  19. stock — shares
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — an untruth

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