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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · hide · fork · mug · stock · lash · field · stand

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mug — to rob
  5. field — for sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mug — a face
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — shares
  19. field — a subject
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. plane — a tool

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