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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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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: rock · arm · fan · stock · root · shower · row · plane

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. root — the cause
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. root — of a plant
  9. row — a line
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rock — to move gently

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