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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: spell · track · cue · stock · trunk · plane · face · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cue — for pool
  3. face — to confront
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. track — a song
  7. stock — shares
  8. spell — a short time
  9. face — to point toward
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spell — magic
  21. track — a path
  22. shower — rain
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stock — goods

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