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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: mark · stock · last · cell · plane · arm · pass · fan

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. last — final
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — in biology
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — to go on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a grade
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. plane — a tool
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fan — a supporter

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