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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: stock · jam · drill · hand · plane · lash · fork · cap

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — help
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — army training
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — the 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