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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: rush · foot · drill · rock · squash · mine · plane · stock

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rock — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. drill — army training
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — a tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rush — hurry
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — a stone

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