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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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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: file · ground · mug · wind · stock · plane · kick · bay

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ground — crushed
  13. file — a document
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. file — a tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. file — a line of people
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stock — a soup base

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