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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fall — the season
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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