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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
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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: land · plane · stock · wake · saw · game · wave · fan

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — ground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stock — shares
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. land — to come down
  24. fan — to cool the air

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