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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: cue · lash · date · bank · stock · temple

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stock — goods
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cue — a hint
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cue — for pool

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