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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: cold · face · key · lean · stock · cue · squash · stem

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cold — an illness
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a hint
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — the most important part
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — a soup base

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