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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 116 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 · pound · plane · kick · rest · ball · leaves · row

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — a break
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. stock — shares
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stock — goods
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ball — a great time
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ball — a round shape

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