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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: stock · sharp · lash · date · march · plane · dip · cap

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stock — goods
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — a hat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. march — the month
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — a lid
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to sink
  22. march — music
  23. stock — shares
  24. cap — of ice

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