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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: mine · row · tube · plane · stock · wound · rest · stick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rest — a break
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stock — goods
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rest — what's left
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stock — shares
  20. row — a line
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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