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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · tear · can · cue · stock · hide · wave · wake

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — a tin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wake — before a funeral

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