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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 · fan · roll · bat · plane · lash · safe · tear

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — to rip
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. roll — a list
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — a tool
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bat — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — shares
  24. roll — a cake

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