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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 120 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
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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 · mug · hand · drill · rash · plane · hide · bark

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — shares
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — army training
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stock — goods
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — a practice
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hide — animal skin

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