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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: saw · shower · spell · coach · sharp · stick · stock · foot

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. shower — rain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spell — magic
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — a measure

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