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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: stock · plane · band · spell · craft · hide · cue · saw

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. band — a music group
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — shares
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. craft — boats
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stock — goods
  12. band — a ring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — for pool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — a signal

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