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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: chair · lie · root · cue · mug · stock · firm · wind

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. firm — a company
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. firm — steady
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mug — a face
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. firm — decided
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cue — a signal
  24. root — the cause

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