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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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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 · suit · firm · lash · last · stock · mark · band

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — goods
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. last — to go on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. cue — a signal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — shares
  20. band — a ring
  21. suit — to fit
  22. firm — a company
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cue — for pool

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