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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 120 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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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: snap · lie · bank · cue · stock · bat

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stock — shares
  18. bank — of a river

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