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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.

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: rash · content · stock · patient · plane · present · straw · row

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — hasty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — the time now
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. present — there
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rash — on the skin

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