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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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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: stock · sharp · fall · lash · stand · bear · pound · plane

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fall — the season
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stock — goods
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stand — to bear

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