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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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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 · chest · stock · stem · chip · fork · bound

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stock — goods
  6. chest — a box
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — certain
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stock — shares
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lash — to lash out

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