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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: lean · plane · ground · rush · can · last · stock · rash

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — a series
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — to go on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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