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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: perch · tube · board · plane · press · cabinet · lash · stock

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — newspapers
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. board — to get on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stock — goods
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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