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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 116 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: club · season · hand · bark · stock · lean · wave · plane

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. season — in sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stock — goods
  19. club — a group
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — help
  24. lean — thin

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