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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: deal · shower · cell · lash · stock · bear · mate · plane

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. deal — to handle
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. shower — rain
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. deal — a big deal

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