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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: stock · mark · plane · fan · chest · dip · arm · pass

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stock — shares
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to sink
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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