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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: rest · mate · ruler · can · stock · plane · cell · drill

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. drill — army training
  13. cell — in biology
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ruler — for measuring

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