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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: fine · kick · cold · object · plane · mate · mouse · stock

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — high quality
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. kick — in football
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — shares
  13. object — to protest
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — to breed
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — all right
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cold — the Cold War

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