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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: fork · roll · stock · wave · staff · plane · rush · rock

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. roll — a list
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rock — a stone
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — employees

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