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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: mark · tear · bank · squash · snap · plane · stock · saw

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bank — of a river
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tear — to rip
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. squash — the sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stock — goods

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