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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 120 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: hand · cue · can · wave · stem · saw · stock · stand

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stem — to come from
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — a hint

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