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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.

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: march · stock · land · plane · wind · stand · vault · rash

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. land — to come down
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rash — hasty
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — moving air
  10. land — a country
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — shares
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. land — ground
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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