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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · plane · stick · stock · bank · cold · rash

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — to come down
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — the most important part
  17. land — a country
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — the Cold War

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