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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · plane · patient · lash · mark · tube · rash · stock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tube — a container
  5. rash — a series
  6. tear — from crying
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — the underground
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — to lash out

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