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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.

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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 · tube · mug · squash · track · fall · calf · plane

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — a path
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — to crush
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tube — a container
  14. track — a song
  15. stock — goods
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mug — to rob
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — the underground
  24. calf — of the leg

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