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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: lean · stock · plane · stick · tube · cell · pound · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — shares
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lean — thin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cell — in biology
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stock — goods
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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