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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: spring · plane · spell · stock · sharp · stick · saw · tear

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spring — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — shares
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spell — a short time
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spell — letters
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spring — of water

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