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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 116 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: firm · row · plane · stock · swing · mark · shower · leaves

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. firm — steady
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. firm — a company
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. row — to paddle
  13. shower — to wash
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. shower — rain
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. row — a line
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — to play on
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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