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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: plane · lean · mate · bound · cabinet · stock · shower · track

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — rain
  13. mate — to breed
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a song
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to rest against

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