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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: bound · stock · stand · mug · ground · plane · rest · shower

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rest — a break
  4. stock — goods
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — a face
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stock — shares
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — what's left
  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