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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 120 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
468
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: plane · tube · file · lash · charge · row · stock · rest

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — in control
  8. tube — a container
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stock — shares
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. file — a document
  19. stock — goods
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — to paddle
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. tube — the underground

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