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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: content · cue · pass · saw · stock · mark · spring · lash

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. content — happy
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. spring — of water
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — a hint
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stock — shares
  24. spring — the season

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