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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: mouse · stock · cue · face · lean · patient · fan · cold

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — thin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cold — not warm

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