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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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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: straw · plane · stock · pit · lean · fork · pound · fall

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fork — in a road
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. fall — the season
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lean — thin
  13. pound — a weight
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fork — to eat with

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