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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: bulb · cue · mug · date · straw · wax · snap · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stock — goods
  4. mug — a cup
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mug — a face
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. snap — to click
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — a hint
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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