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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 · stand · dip · date · rush · chest · trunk · stock

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chest — a box
  12. stock — goods
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — a hint
  24. date — on the calendar

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