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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: spell · bat · shower · saw · bowl · plane · mug · stock

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stock — goods
  3. spell — a short time
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mug — a face
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bat — in an idiom

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