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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: tear · stock · plane · foot · current · hand · toast · pass

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — happening now
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tear — from crying
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — goods
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — electric
  24. hand — help

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