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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 · last · nail · stock · shower · date · bank · stick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bank — of a river
  8. last — final
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — goods
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — to go on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. last — finally

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