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

Word bank: wind · stock · row · plane · lash · race · present · racket

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — the time now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — a contest
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. racket — for tennis

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