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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — the season
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — a break
  11. spring — of water
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. rest — what's left
  15. drill — army training
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — a practice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — a coil

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