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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: stem · press · straw · stock · wave · temple · cue · present

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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 — a straw man
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. present — the time now
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — a gift
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cue — for pool
  17. press — a publisher
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stem — to come from
  21. present — there
  22. press — to push
  23. wave — of the sea
  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