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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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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: plane · mark · vault · prune · stock · toast · shower · row

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. row — a line
  16. stock — goods
  17. vault — a safe
  18. row — to paddle
  19. toast — bread
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — shares
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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